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Howdy! I just completed a simple organization project that made a huge difference in my kitchen, so I thought I’d share it with you. I completely overhauled my spice organization and drawers! And it was easy and fun.

Here’s a little back story: we moved into a new house in January. We were blessed to build a new prefab home on acreage, and we are loving the country life again. (I will try to post more house pics as we get into the groove and settle in. We are on the verge of listing our old house, so as you can imagine, we haven’t completed many projects in the new place yet!) Our build was a budget build, so we spent money on all the important structural items and things that would be difficult to change later – roofing, insulation, 9′ ceiling heights, windows, walkout basement, etc. – and didn’t upgrade any finishes. So our house is a beautifully blank page waiting to be written on. The rooms are clean, open, and ready to be decorated and/or finished.

That includes the kitchen. We got the basic cabinets and countertops, bought our own appliances, and plan to customize over time. What we didn’t realize is that these cabinets came with extremely shallow drawers – out of 22 drawers, only ONE is more than 2.5″ deep! That’s 21 very shallow drawers to work with. Examples of items that no longer fit in drawers: ladles, cooking spatulas, most serving utensils, stacks of dish towels more than 2 high, and spice jars! It might seem trivial, but the drawers have become a waste of space and a big source of frustration. A lovely, huge kitchen with so much wasted space is a kitchen begging for some tweaking! I discovered that I could lie all the jars flat and they would fit, but since I accumulated them over time, they were many sizes and shapes. Putting them in any sort of order was impossible. And the round ones rolled! I had labeled all of my jars on the lids, so the jars were no longer labeled properly. (This isn’t a problem for me as much as for my children – my older children like to cook and bake, and they aren’t always able to identify herbs and spices by sight, as I am.)

So I did a little thinking, measuring, and planning. I discovered that 4 oz. mason jars fit perfectly in my drawers, and they were very affordable. (That link is to Amazon, but if you have an Ace Hardware nearby, I recommend buying them there via free store pickup. It’s the cheapest option for any size of mason jar. I’m not affiliated with Ace; just a happy customer.)

Chalkboard Con-Tact paper. I have lots left and so many ideas!

Once my jars arrived, I measured the lids and decided to buy a cheap roll of chalkboard contact paper and punch out perfect circles for the lids. (FYI: 2″ circles fit perfectly on regular size mason jar lids.) I wanted the look of chalkboard labels, but I didn’t want the labels to rub off easily, so I decided to buy oil-based Sharpie paint pens to make the label permanent. (This project only uses a very small amount of the chalkboard paper, so I have lots left to make new labels, if needed. If you want to make your labels erasable but semi-permanent, you could try wet erase chalk markers, like these. I didn’t want my messy little sous chefs to accidentally wipe things off with their greasy fingers, so I decided not to go that route. They may be more durable than I suspect, though! If you try them, do comment and let me know.)

Mason Jar Spice Jar DIY

Wash all jars and lids. I ran the jars through the dishwasher but hand washed the lids. Allow to dry completely.

Punch out as many chalkboard labels as you will need for your spice drawer/cabinet. I needed 36. TIP: flip the punch over to the clear side to help you line up the punch with as little waste possible.

Prime & shake your marker, and do a few practice labels. Your handwriting will be very visible, so make sure it looks the way you like.

Label your lids, transfer herbs/spices to new jars, and organize in your drawer or on your shelf! I had kid helpers, so we worked a few jars at a time so as not to lose track of what was actually in each jar. I was delighted that my kids chose to alphabetize the spices, as that’s what I would’ve done if they hadn’t.

This recipe makes two loaves of delicious, Trim Healthy Mama-friendly sprouted bread – without kneading or spending more than a couple of minutes tending to it. You simply need to be around to manage the process. You will be letting the machine do the mixing and kneading, and then you will let your oven do the baking. The original recipe can be found here – and you really should go visit that post and look and her step-by-step pictures. They are beautiful and helpful.

After making it according to the original recipe once, I simply adapted the ingredient amounts and mixing order to improve flavor and rising. Below is my version. (I have not yet adapted the volume measurements to weight, as is my preferred practice for baking, but I am working on it.)

I like One Degree organic sprouted flours, both spelt and whole wheat. Try to find them locally (at a health food store or Whole Foods), but you can order online (I had to). Find the sprouted spelt here and the sprouted whole wheat here.

Put water, honey, and yeast into a 2 lb. capacity bread machine pan. For best results, use barely warm (not hot!) water to help soften the yeast and encourage rising.

Measure flour and salt and add to the pan. Cut your butter into 8 small cubes and distribute them evenly over the top of the flour.

Set the machine to the dough cycle and let it do its work. In the first few minutes, you will want to check the mixture and scrape down the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula, if needed. Add a bit of water if the dough is not very moist - it should be a slightly sticky dough, but still able to form a ball.

When the dough cycle is complete, dump the dough out onto an oiled/buttered counter and press out all the air with your oiled hands. Divide the dough into two equal-sized lumps, form them into a tight ball, then a loaf shape. Put them in loaf pans and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes (or until roughly doubled in size; this will take longer in cooler climates).

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 for 30 min. Remove the bread from the pans and set to cool on a cooling rack, lightly buttering the tops to soften the crust (optional).

Notes

* Basically, if you put all ingredients in your bread machine in the order listed above, run the dough cycle, divide into two loaves, rise for 30, bake for 30, and set to cool - you will probably turn out with great bread. I add some helpful commentary for those who have not baked before, but I promise it's much easier than my wordiness indicates.* If you're going to set the timer on your bread machine and knead it later, you'll want to place the yeast on top of the flour instead of in the water. The water and honey hydrates and activates the yeast faster for better rising, which is not what you want if you are, say, setting the timer for the dough to be ready when you get home from work. In this case, make sure the yeast is not touching the water or salt.* To make rolls, instead of dividing the dough into two loaves, divide it into your desired roll size. I make 24. Allow the rolls to rise in a buttered 9x13 for 20 min, then bake for 20. They are done when lightly browned on top.

There are probably hundreds of similar recipes to be found on the great big interwebz, but I tweaked this to suit a larger crowd. I use my 6 quart crockpot and serve with a nice, big pot of rice and tortilla chips alongside.

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh)

3 16 oz. jars salsa

3 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

3 cups frozen corn

2-3 8 oz. blocks cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

Place first four ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6.

30 min. before serving, shred chicken with two forks. Place whole blocks of cream cheese on top. It will melt in nicely by itself.

Give it a good stir to incorporate the cream cheese fully and serve over rice or with tortilla chips. I like to include a bottle of hot sauce for the more adventurous.

(When you have free-range chickens AND snap a pic at sunset, your pancake looks super yellow!)

Whew. How’s that for a title?!

We’ve been making and enjoying Dutch Babies for a long time around here. It started with my husband and I sharing the standard 3 egg version, baked in a cast iron skillet, with our lone toddler Maya. Delish. Nowadays, I make (are you ready for this?) the equivalent of 8 times that recipe for the seven of us. This is basically the recipe I use, only I use 1 tsp course kosher salt and start checking for doneness around 20 min. We usually use some form of whole grain flour. But not always…

Now, with me being gluten- and milk-free (I can still tolerate butter, cheese, yogurt), I have had to experiment with a version I can enjoy. And since I’m lazy and try to stick to whole grains, I also had to convert it to a blender batter (no pulling out the gluten-contaminated grain mill). Here’s the version I am enjoying now.

NOTES
* Obviously, you can make this with gluten and dairy while still enjoying the convenience of the blender. Just use about 3/4 cup of whole wheat grains (or experiment with barley, spelt, etc.) and 1 cup milk of your choice.
* I usually use unsweetened almond milk.
* I use our own farm fresh eggs and make a double batch, which just fits in the Vitamix without overflowing. Since our eggs can vary in size, I often use 13 (which is more than double, of course).
* You can also skip the blender entirely and substitute 1 cup of your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the whole grains.
* Try other GF grains. Brown rice goes well with oats. Or try brown rice + millet.

Bulletproof coffee (originally seen here) is a fantastic concept that I’ve really enjoyed playing around with. I was really craving a good PSL with pure pumpkin, and this is what I came up with. This recipe is an S, for those following the plan.

TIPS:
**I have successfully reduced the butter to 1 tsp when I want a less rich treat.
**I use a hand (immersion) blender in wide mouth mason jar with a towel wrapped around it. (Time to knit a jar cozy!)
**If you are not following Trim Healthy Mama, or if you are at goal weight, try 1-2 TBSP pure maple syrup as your sweetener. So rich and delicious!
**To get the pumpkin maple flavor without the sugar, I’m going to add maple extract next time.
**Replace the whey protein with heavy cream or coconut milk for a different creamy flavor. I like the whey protein to jump start my day, and it’s surprisingly creamy.
** I’ve been making coffee with an Aeropress and liking it a lot. It works well with this method.

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in quart-sized jar or French press and stir. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12 – 24 hours. Press and strain through coffee filter, sieve, strainer, or cheesecloth. Enjoy over ice with as much cream, half & half, or coconut milk as you can handle (S) or unsweetened almond milk (S or E). So delicious!

My friend Karen served this soup to my family a few weeks ago, and my kids all raved about it. I have made black bean soup in some form or another for years, and no one has ever raved like that. So naturally, I got the recipe. The secret? Pumpkin. It adds a smoothness and depth of flavor that is just right. Thank you, Karen!

Karen’s Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (or 4 cups cooked) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (or equivalent) diced tomatoes, drained

1-2 medium onions, diced

1 tsp. fat (butter, coconut oil, lard)

3 garlic cloves, minced (or equivalent of dried)

1.5 tsp ground cumin

3 C chicken broth

1 can (or 2 cups cooked) pumpkin

2 Tbsp lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Puree beans and tomatoes with the appliance of your choice, set aside. In soup pot, sauté onions in the fat of your choice. Add garlic and cumin, sauté another minute. Stir in broth, lime, pumpkin, black pepper, and bean mixture. Bring to a boil, simmer 20 minutes. Salt to taste.

NOTES:
* I doubled this recipe and it just fit perfectly in my 6 quart slow cooker.
* Since I doubled, one quart of home canned tomato puree worked perfectly.
* I think other winter squashes, like butternut, would work splendidly.

I’ve been making this world famous chocolate cake for many years now, and it remains the easiest, quickest (and most requested) cake in our household. It is by nature dairy- and egg-free, though you can add those things if you like. I regularly tweak the flour, sugar, and oil, and it always turns out great. It’s a perfect dessert for when you’re out of everything and need to go grocery shopping; it doesn’t require any eggs, dairy, or fancy anythings. I’ve even made it gluten-free, and it was delicious!

Recently, I’ve been making it into cupcakes. You can just take the original recipe and turn it into 12 cupcakes, baked for 20-22 minutes. Easy peasy. However, if you are out of flour (like I was today) and you’re too lazy to grind fresh flour, and you’re making the cupcakes for friends who are not gluten-free, so you don’t want to use your expensive gluten-free flour, then you are in a quandry. Fear not. Just do what I did today – turn the recipe into a blender batter, a la Sue Gregg. You can just throw the whole grains in the blender with the rest of the recipe and end up with whole wheat chocolate cake! And most people will never notice. What follows is the revised recipe, which I could not taste test*, but my children assure me was fabulous.

Well, hello there! Just popping in quick to say that I’ve created a new tab above (“GF/DF”) with all the resources I could think of off the top of my head related to gluten- and dairy-free recipes. There’s a lot out there, but I wanted to start with recipes that my family has tried and liked, so that’s why I made my own list. It is a work in progress and will be edited over time, but I needed a big list for recipe planning, and I thought it might be helpful to more than just me. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis at the beginning of Silas’ pregnancy last fall. In dealing with this condition, I have come across a ton of research that indicates that nearly 100% of people with Hashi’s are also gluten intolerant. Fun! I am also dairy intolerant just because I’m special. I’ve recently had lots of digestion issues and am so tired of always feeling poorly and having an irritated gut, so I’m going to do something about it.

There you go. I’ll blog more about my journey at another time. But here’s a start.

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Hi there! I'm Serina, homeschooling mom to seven and wife to a pastor/engineer. We live on a grassy knoll at the edge of a very brambly wood. We like to grow and create - art, plants, animals, memories, stories, songs. We are makers, builders, writers, readers, thinkers, and dreamers. Literature, music, and food are central to our home. Welcome to my online journal.